Staying Strong
by RosieQueen
Summary: Hogwarts is like a prison nowadays. Snape, the Carrows, and the Death Eaters have taken over. Things have been going from bad to worse, Harry. Everthing is so wrong here. The classes taught by the Carrows are so unbearable, we all wish we had Umbridge back. There's still one thing I look forward to here: The D.A. We've all been risking our lives to defend our school.
1. Another Year and Worries of War

_I can see us through these dark days,  
Though they seem to darken as I go.  
Our love will see us through these dark, dark days sister,  
'Til it lights the way back home._

_-Dark Days by the Punch Brothers  
_

I walked onto platform nine and three-quarters after Mum, Dad, Bill and Phlegm (ahem, Fleur,) who all seemed to be in deep conversation, all of which had the same, worried expression.

I pushed my trolley next to Mum. Looking around the platform, I saw about a hundred worried and anxious- looking parents, giving their children last minute reminders. I was pretty sure that everyone here knew perfectly well that Hogwarts wasn't a safe place anymore. Dumbledore was gone. Hogwarts was being run by the Ministry, which many believed was being run by Death Eaters.

There was a forbidding, hushed silence on the platform. It seemed as if nobody dared to speak any louder than a whisper. There was no usual buzz of excitement. I felt as if I was in a waiting room at St. Mungo's, wondering if a family member was dead or alive.

"Ginny," Mum said who looked stressed and anxious.

"Yes, Mum?" I said.

"You need to be extra careful this year. _Please_don't do anything to get you into trouble," she pleaded.

"We wish you didn't have to go, sweetheart." Dad said, grasping my shoulder.

"I wish I didn't have to either," I mumbled. _Not with Snape running the place_, I thought bitterly.

"Our family name isn't going to do anything good for you, sis." Bill said. "Just keep your head down, and talk as little as possible. Don't do anything that will bring attention to you."

"Write to me every day dear, but please don't write anything that will seem suspicious, the owl post is most definitely going to be checked." Mum said, giving me a hug.

"I will, Mum." I said, as she released me.

"Au revoir, Geeny." Fleur said, also giving me hug just after Mum had let go of me.

"Er, thanks, Fleur. Goodbye to you too." I said awkwardly.

I heard the scarlet steam engine give a loud whistle.

Dad gave me a kiss on the forehead, and Bill hugged me.

"Take care, sis." he whispered in my ear.

"You better go, quickly." Mum said.

I walked fast, pushing my trolley in front of me, and heaved it into the cart.

With one last wave at my family, I entered the Hogwarts Express.

I walked down the train, looking left and right into the compartments, hoping to see a familiar face.

"Ginny!" I turned to see that it was Neville. He was holding the compartment door open for me.

"Neville!" I said, relieved. I entered the compartment, and Neville closed it behind me.

"Good to see you, Ginny! I was starting to wonder if you were going to be here at all." Neville said.

Neville, however, wasn't the only one occupying the compartment.

"Hello, Ginny." Luna said, looking up from her copy of _the Quibbler_, and beaming. "How have you been?"

"Same as everyone else, I guess." I shrugged, as I sat down beside her, across from Seamus Finnigan.

"Hi, Seamus." I said.

I was no stranger to being around Seamus, as I had dated his best friend last year. Seamus didn't normally sit with Neville, Luna, or I. I guessed it was because Dean was on the run from the muggle-born registration committee, so he didn't really have a choice but to sit with Neville, with whom he shared his dormitory.

"Hello," he said, giving me what seemed to be a weary smile.

I glanced at the cover of Luna's copy of the Quibbler. The front caption said: _"You-Know-Who takes over the Ministry of Magic."_

"_The Quibbler's _going strong, then?" I asked.

"Oh yes. Daddy's printing a lot of useful information in _the Quibbler_. Information that _the Daily Prophet _won't. We've had record sales, too." Luna said mildly.

"Yeah, _the Quibbler _seems to be more honest than the stupid _Daily Prophet_, recently." Seamus said.

"Weren't _you_ the one who believed everything _the Daily Prophet _wrote about Harry and Dumbledore just two years ago?" I said, before I could stop myself.

"Oh. Well, yeah," Seamus said, his cheeks turning a light shade of pink. "Yeah, but times change. I mean, who would believe that Harry killed Dumbledore, anyway?"

"Anyone who doesn't know him," Neville pointed out.

"I don't think he's just on the run, but what _is_he doing?" Seamus asked.

"I don't know," Neville said curiously. "_Witch Weekly _said he was fleeing to Spain, but there's no way I'm going to believe that."

"You actually read that magazine? Isn't that magazine for _women_?" Seamus smirked.

"What? Oh, no, not really…I mean, my Gran…" Neville said, blushing.

"I think I know what he's doing." I said.

Everyone turned to look at me, and even Luna looked up from her magazine, looking mildly interested.

"What's he up to, then?" Neville urged.

I hesitated. What would Harry say if I told them? It couldn't really matter, as Neville, Luna, and Seamus were all part of the D.A. But then again, I was quite furious at Harry for telling Ron and Hermione everything about his wild plan to defeat You-Know-Who but not me. He always treated me like a defenseless little girl, just like everyone else in my family.

"He's on some sort of mission to get rid of You-Know-Who on Dumbledore's orders."

"I knew it." Neville said softly.

"He's going all alone?" Seamus asked incredulously.

"No. Ron and Hermione are going with him, obviously." I said, slightly bitter.

I could've helped too. I came with him to the Department of Mysteries. I fought the Death Eaters when they invaded the castle last year. And then the stupid noble git dumped me for my protection. Was it really for my protection, or was it just a way for him to get rid of me so he wouldn't have to include me in anything?

"I thought I heard Ron had spattergroit?" Seamus asked quizzically.

I couldn't help but laugh. "Of course he doesn't! We just dressed up the ghoul in our attic to look like Ron, that way, when the Ministry officials came to inspect our house, they wouldn't think that Ron was with Harry and Hermione."

"Brilliant." Seamus said softly.

"What are they all going to do to get rid of You-Know-Who?" Neville asked.

"I don't know. Harry refused to tell anyone at the Burrow this summer. He told me what he's up to by accident. Ron and Hermione know, because they went with him, and they refused to tell, too."

Seamus and Neville looked very curious at the thought.

"Did you hear about the new radio channel? It's called _Potterwatch_. It's quite difficult to reach, as to make sure nobody on the wrong side finds out about it. It tells news the way it is." Luna said casually.

"I've heard about it, too." Neville said.

"Really? I've never heard of it, but it sounds interesting." said Seamus.

"Of course I've heard about it. My brothers Fred and George are in charge of it." I said.

"Wow, really?" Neville said, with interest.

"Yeah. Them and Lee Jordan." I said matter-of-factly.

"Isn't that dangerous?" Seamus asked.

"It is." I nodded. "But they switch locations every time they broadcast, as an extra precaution. You know those guys; they're used to running away from trouble."

"I think it's a good thing to do." Neville said. "People should know what's really going on. "

"You're right." I said. "And I think it's making a difference. George said they've already had ten thousand hits on their second broadcast."

I heard our compartment open. I looked up and saw that it was the snack cart witch.

"Anything off the carts, dears?" the witch asked. I noticed that she had the air of fake, forced cheeriness.

I shook my head, as Mum had packed me sandwiches, as usual. I unwrapped my sandwich, which was wrapped in tin foil. I groaned. No corned beef? I loved corned beef, unlike Ron, who hated it.

We spent a few hours laughing, eating and talking. I was happily full with food, as Luna, Seamus, and Neville were kind enough to share some real food with me.

"Hey, Ginny, what do you get when you cross a Nargle with a Wrackspurt?" Luna asked cheerfully.

"Uh…?" was all I could say. But before I could really respond, however, the train screeched to a halt, causing all four of us to jerk sideways.

"What the—?" Seamus said furiously.

"We can't be there already…?" I said cautiously.

I knew that it was a little too early to have already reached Hogwarts. I glanced at the window, and sure enough, it was dark, but there was no Hogwarts castle in view. But I noticed something else; about four shadowy figures were moving outside.

"What's that?" I said, pointing out the window.

Neville stood up to look out the window, and gasped in horror. "Death Eaters!" he exclaimed.

"What would they want with us?" Seamus asked fearfully.

I heard panicked shrieks from all over the train.

I looked over at the compartment across the narrow corridor, and saw some horrified group of boys who looked like third years.

"OY! ROWLE, GET OVER HERE!" said a deep, male voice, which sounded dreadfully close.

I shrieked in horror as a mean, blonde-haired Death Eater slid our compartment door open with great force. His great, pudgy face looked carefully at all of ours, snarled, and slammed our compartment door closed.

Right next to him, a dark-skinned Death Eaters gave an excited yelp as he opened the compartment that contained the group of third years.

"MCNAIR! I THINK I'VE GOT 'IM!" The dark-skinned Death Eater said, whose name seemed to be Rowle.

Rowle grabbed the collar of a scrawny, brown-haired boy with large, rectangular glasses. The boy squeaked in terror.

Rowle and Mcnair examined the boy for a moment, until—

"That's not Potter." Mcnair scowled.

Rowle let go of the boy with deliberate force, growling in anger.

"I _knew _the little git wouldn't be here…what are we gong to tell the Dark Lord now?" Rowle said angrily.

"It's alright, the Dark Lord just made us check as a precaution; _he_didn't think he'd be here, either…" Mcnair said.

"We better go find Dolohov and Rookwood…" Rowle said.

And with that, the two Death Eaters left.

I glanced at Seamus and Neville's faces. They looked very pale. Luna, however, looked curious.

"I can't believe they'd even _consider _that Harry might come back to Hogwarts. I mean, 'Undesirable No. 1' and all that? Plus, he's got a ten-thousand galleon price on his head!" Neville said.

"It's ridiculous!" I agreed. By now, the train had continued moving.

Seamus glanced at his watch. "We're almost there. We'll be at Hogwarts in about thirty minutes."

"It's best that we get dressed right now." Luna said calmly, staring into space, deep in thought.

We were all in our Hogwarts robes now, ready to leave.

"How many more minutes, Seamus?" I asked.

"Ten." he responded, checking his battered-looking watch.

Silence.

My head leaned on the window, and I gazed up at the dark sky. It was very cloudy; and I couldn't see the moon. I started noticing familiar rock formations passing by, and the same rivers and lakes I had seen from the Hogwarts Express for six years.

This year was going to be different, and probably not in a good way. I was starting to dread the ten minutes that were quickly passing by.

"This year is going to suck, I can already tell." Neville growled.

I swear, that guy can read minds.

"Perhaps it won't," Luna said dreamily. "Maybe it won't be completely different." she said thoughtfully.

Trust Luna to be open-minded during a war.

Nobody answered her.

After a few more minutes of anxious waiting, the train finally stopped.

Neville, Seamus, Luna, and I were some of the last off the train. I expected to hear the cheerful, booming voice of Rubeus Hagrid saying: "Firs' years! Firs' years over here!" But it did not come. Instead, a chubby, sinister-looking woman was yelling as loud as she could for the first years.

"FIRST YEARS! GET OVER HERE NOW OR _YOU WILL REGRET IT_!" she shouted.

I looked at the woman with great hatred as I walked by her. I knew she was a Death Eater, I recognized her from _the Daily Prophet_, where she and her brother were both mentioned in the same article where they announced that Snape was now Hogwarts' Headmaster.

I caught up with Luna, Seamus, and Neville, who were already at the edge of the paved, cobblestone pathway where the carriages brought you up to the castle. We weren't alone; I noticed a group of Slytherins who weren't too far from where we were standing.

"Hey, Weaslette! Where's your boyfriend?" said the high-pitched voice of Pansy Parkinson that I hated so much.

I tried to ignore her.

"Oh, right, he's on the run!" Jeered the voice I recognized as Blaise Zabini's. The Slytherins erupted in laughter.

A carriage moved in front of Neville, and Seamus, Luna, and I followed him in.

I gazed at the front of the carriage. Even though I could not see it, I knew that there was a threstral pulling the carriage.

The carriage moved slowly towards the castle, through the thick, chilly fog that was forming.

I felt relieved to be in the warm great hall. Everyone was already seated, but Neville, Seamus, and I were the last ones to seat ourselves at the Gryffindor table.

There was low, muttering and whispering throughout the entire great hall. No usual buzz and commotion, and no after-summer greetings.

"QUIET!" a Death Eater yelled. (I could tell he was a Death Eater because of his robes.)

The muttering died out instantly.

The great hall doors opened, revealing Professor McGonagall leading a large group of first years.

Professor Flitwick carried the wooden stool with the tattered old Sorting Hat to the front of the Great Hall.

There was the usual silence of waiting for the Hat to start singing. The brim of the Hat split open and it started to sing:

_I'm the Sorting Hat; I sort you into houses of the brave and noble founders,_

_Either Ravenclaw, the sharpest lot, for those with a ready mind,_

_or Hufflepuff, where they're hard-working, loyal, and kind,_

_Gryffindor, they're the outgoing group, braver people you never will find, _

_or Slytherin, those cunning folk, who go to every measure to ensure their win,_

_Let the sorting begin._

There was punctured applause throughout the great hall.

"That was a very short song, wasn't it?" Luna observed, who was right across from me at the Ravenclaw table.

The muttering and whispering ensued once again.

Why had the song been so short?

"SILENCE!" The Death Eater shouted once again.

Professor McGonagall cleared her throat loudly, and the whispers abruptly stopped.

Never had I been so glad to see McGonagall in my life. Strict as she may be, she was a respectable person. Somehow, seeing her gave me comfort, because I knew she was part of the Order, and that I could trust her.

"Abbens, Rachelle." Professor McGonagall said. A tall, blonde-haired girl walked slowly and nervously to the stool.

The sorting hat remained on the girl's had for about two seconds until it shouted: "_GRYFFINDOR_!"

The entire Gryffindor table clapped, and a handful of Hufflepuff and Ravenclaws joined in. The Slytherins, however did not make a move, refusing to clap.

"Abbington, Travis." she called. The hat remained on his head for a few seconds until it shouted:_"HUFFLEPUFF!"_

I couldn't help but stare at the greasy-haired man sitting in the tallest chair at the table. I wanted to hex him so bad.

_The evil traitor_, I thought in disgust. I thought of many rude swear words in my head, silently directing them at him. It was childish satisfaction, I know, but if I threatened him out loud, I would probably be murdered by his little Death Eater friends over there.

The sorting ended, and at once, Snape stood up, his dark, evil eyes looking into ours.

The Great Hall fell deadly silent. Almost everyone at the Gryffindor table glared at him. Neville had a scowl etched on his face. The only people who weren't looking at Snape with pure hatred were the Slytherins, who merely looked bored and uninterested.

"Another year at Hogwarts, welcome." he said smoothly.

_Yeah right, Welcome_. I thought, sneering.

"There will be many changes this year. _Drastic_changes. Anyone who dares to oppose these changes will be severely punished." he said, pausing.

"First—anyone who is not of wizarding ancestry—that is to say, a muggle-born—will not be tolerated in this school. Therefore, before you leave to your dormitories, you will state your name, your blood status, as well as your family history."

I looked at the first year who was sitting in front of me, who looked horrified. He was obviously a muggle-born. If only he knew his near fate of imprisonment at the ministry.

"Second—any school unauthorized organizations are banned. If anyone is found involved in one, they will be expelled." he said, looking intently at the Gryffindor table.

"Third—an important rule, so listen very closely. Any student or staff involved with the whereabouts of Undesirable No. 1 will be _severely_punished or imprisoned, as well as expelled. Death by the Ministry is also a possibility."

There was absolute silence. A few people who knew Harry squirmed a bit or looked at their feet. I looked at the staff table. Minerva McGonnagall, Sprout, Flitwick, Hagrid, and a few other teachers were glaring so much at Snape and the Death Eaters they looked ready to kill.

"Fourth—all students are to leave their classrooms and dormitories in an orderly fashion. No students are allowed to wander the halls by themselves. If you do, you will be serving a month's detention. Prefects as well as Head boys and girls are also forbidden to wander alone."

I saw Ernie Macmillan looking outraged. He was Head Boy now. But then again, what was the point of being Head Boy or Girl if you couldn't do your responsibilities?

"There are more new rules for this year—information sheets will be handed out tomorrow morning." Snape paused.

"There have been staff changes as well. Alecto Carrow will be teaching muggle studies, and is now deputy Headmistress." Snape nodded at the plump woman on his right.

"Defense against the Dark Arts will be taught by Amycus Carrow." Snape said, nodding at a tall, intimidating man to his left.

"I hope that clears a few things up. Good night—enjoy the feast." Snape said, not returning to the staff table but to Dumbledore's office. I know, technically now it's Snape's office, but he basically stole it from Dumbledore after murdering him. Snape didn't deserve anything.

I stared at my roast chicken, not eating. I wasn't hungry anymore.

I was standing in line in front of the portrait of the fat lady. Out of all the common rooms, the Gryffindor one was the most heavily guarded by Death Eaters. Of course, out of all people, Voldemort, A.K.A the coward, trusted Gryffindors the least.

"Next," Amycus Carrow said. I stepped up right in front of him. What was funny was that I was an inch taller than him, so I wasn't intimidated by him.

"Name." he demanded.

"Ginny Weasley." I said.

"Thought so." he muttered under his breath, which smelled strongly of tobacco.

"Blood status," he demanded once more.

"Pure-blood. Weasley and Prewett, ancient wizarding family." I said.

"Get." he demanded, pointing at the portrait hole.

I stopped right as I heard a blonde first year girl sobbing from behind.

"I didn't—k-know. Please—don't hurt my family…" she wailed.

"Shut up, girl. You're going straight to the ministry. We don't tolerate mud-bloods here anymore. And don't worry about your pathetic family, they won't be hearing from you in a long, long time." he sneered.

A grim Death Eater grabbed her arm and pulled her forcefully past the line, with her crying with pitiful sobs.

The rest of the Gryffindors in line watched in horror at the cruelty they had just witnessed.

At first I wondered why there were muggle-borns at Hogwarts in the first place. Wouldn't they just not have gotten their letters? But then I realized that Voldemort took over _after_the muggle-borns got their letters.

A sickening feeling churned in my stomach as I continued through the portrait hole.

I was in my dormitory, unpacking my trunk half-heartedly. Usually, I would be bubbling with excitement before my official first day of another year of Hogwarts.

I heard footsteps behind me. I turned to see that it was Lauren and Tristan, two of the girls who I shared my dorm with.

They were talking in hushed voices, deep in discussion.

"Hi, Ginny!" Lauren said nervously, as she noticed that I was already here.

"Hi." I said.

Why were they talking so strangely to me? It gave me the impression that they had just been talking about me.

"Did you have a good summer?" Tristan asked me.

"I think my summer hasn't been much different from anyone else's." I said.

"Oh." she said, getting my point. Nobody's summer could have been good.

"It's so strange without Elena or Lacey here." Lauren sighed, as she opened her trunk and took out here robes and books.

"Yeah…" I said distantly.

Elena was a muggle-born, so she couldn't come to Hogwarts without being chucked into the muggle-born prison. Lacey, on the other hand, was pure-blood, but her parents were both aurors and very strong with the anti-Voldemort movement, which was a danger to themselves.

There was an uncomfortable silence as we arranged everything for tomorrow.

"Hey, Ginny, is it true you're going out with someone else now?" Tristan asked.

Let me tell you, Tristan is nice and all, but she can be extremely interfering and nosy sometimes. She acted as if it was her authority to know who was going out with whom.

"No." I said, raising an eyebrow.

"So you're still going out with…you know…Harry Potter?" she urged.

"No. I'm not." I said firmly, closing my trunk.

"Did you break up with him or did he break up with you?" Lauren asked.

"Look, it doesn't matter. And it would really help if you didn't tell the entire world that I'm his ex-girlfriend, if you want me alive. The Death Eaters will be after me if you do." I said.

I quickly got dressed into my pajamas and closed the curtains of my four-poster bed.

I was in no mood to discuss Harry at the moment, much less on why and how he broke up with me.

I closed my eyes and tried to clear my mind of all worries. It was very hard, as my thoughts were buzzing around my mind like bees, refusing to leave me alone.

**Author's Note: **Thank you for reading! I posted this story on because someone on here copied my work and claimed it as theirs, and hopefully now that it's published here, people will refrain from copying my work. This is not the official Staying Strong. You can find the official one if you search it on Google as: "Staying Strong harry potter fan fiction." It's the first link. :) Please check out the official version!

~Rosie


	2. Classes With the Carrows

_And I remember, all those crazy things you said  
You left them riding through my head  
You're always there, you're everywhere  
But right now I wish you were here._

_-Wish You Were Here by Avril Lavigne  
_

I munched on my toast, staring at the ceiling of the great hall. I observed that it was cloudy and gray outside, and chances seemed high for rain.

Count on weather to lift your spirits. Not.

I had just been reading the stupid _Daily Prophet_, Where Harry's face was printed on the front page, under the caption "Undesirable No.1"

_Why _I was reading _the Daily Prophet_, I don't know. But like Hermione once said: It was best to know what the enemy was saying.

"Hey, Ginny." a familiar voice said.

I turned to see that it was Neville, stomping furiously towards the Gryffindor table, and sat next to me.

"Good morning Neville." I said.

"Yeah. 'Morning." he grumbled.

"What's wrong, Neville?" I asked. He seemed to be acting a bit odd.

He sighed. "Did you read the notice board recently?" Neville asked.

"No, why?" I asked.

"We _have_ to take muggle-studies this year. Everyone does. And to make everything worse, it's being taught by that bitch, Alecto." he said sourly. "Not only that, Quidditch is banned from the school. _Permanently_."

"No!" I exclaimed. Excellent. The one thing at Hogwarts I was looking forward to. I wanted to smack myself for even_thinking _that Snape would let us play Quidditch. "You seem to be upset. I never got the impression that you enjoyed Quidditch." I observed.

"Yeah, well I was sort of…hoping to try out this year." he blushed.

I smiled at the thought of Neville playing Quidditch. He'd fall off his broom, poor lad.

"Everyone, please be quiet!" Professor Sprout said loudly.

A few people listened to her, however many continued talking.

_BANG._

I jumped with a start at the sound. Many others had shrieked in surprise or jumped like I did. I looked over at the front of the Great Hall.

"QUIET!" Alecto Carrow shouted.

Her wand had been aimed at the wall, where there was now a large, gaping hole. She had done this simply to get everyone's attention.

Professor Sprout glanced nervously at Alecto, and then continued.

"..Right…you will all be receiving your rule pamphlets in a few moments. You are all to go to your next class according to house in rows of single-file lines," she said, and quickly returned to her chair at the staff table next to Professor McGonagall.

"Single-file lines?" I said in disgust.

"It'll be like we're in auror training." Neville joked.

A small, dark green pamphlet had appeared in front of me, as well as everyone else in the great hall.

"I swear, I'm chucking this into the dustbin." I groaned, holding the pamphlet in disgust.

"Me too." Neville agreed.

I glanced at the large clock on the wall of the Great Hall. If I left right now, I would be right on time for Defense against the Dark Arts class.

"I'll see you later, Neville." I said, putting the pamphlet into my schoolbag, standing up to leave for my class.

I found Luna in the main corridor, and caught up to her, behind all the other Ravenclaws and Gryffindors. The lines were very uneven: you could barely tell that they were lines.

"Hello, Ginny." she said politely.

"Hi, Luna." I said

"Are you going to Defense against the Dark Arts class?" she asked.

"Yeah. Are you?"

She nodded gleefully.

We were halfway to class when we met up with Peeves.

"Oh _no_," I muttered.

"Ooooh….It's Loony and Weaslette!" Peeves cackled.

Luna and I were now separated from the crowd. If a Death Eater found us alone in an empty corridor, we would get into trouble.

"Fuck off Peeves." I said to him.

"Awww…Little Weaslette has a _temper_. Wouldn't want to cross paths with her, no, no, no." he said maliciously.

And with that, he dumped a full dustbin on top of me.

"NO! PEEVES YOU—!" I shrieked.

Peeves cackled and zoomed away, his goal accomplished.

There was dust, chewing gum, a banana peel, paper, and wrappers all over me. Lucky Luna had dodged the falling garbage just in time, and was not covered in garbage like I was.

"Oh, Ginny! Can I help you?" Luna asked, rushing to my side.

"It's okay, Luna. We're already late. I don't want you to get into trouble, you go ahead to class. I'll just stop by the girls' bathroom." I said, not wanting Luna to get into trouble on her first day.

"Alright, then…" she said, continuing down the corridor, giving me anxious looks.

I rushed to the nearest girl's bathroom. I pulled the door open, only to find that the floor was flooded with water.

It didn't take me long to realize which bathroom I was in: Moaning Myrtle's bathroom.

There were many reasons I always avoided this specific bathroom: For one, I hated Myrtle, who wouldn't ever shut up, crying over one thing or another. Second, it was a painful reminder of my first year of Hogwarts, when I was possessed by Tom Riddle, present day Voldemort.

I knew I couldn't walk around school smelling like garbage, so with a huge sigh, I decided to simply wash up.

With great difficulty, I turned the sink on, which appeared to have been unused for ages, so the rust-covered knob was stuck.

"Oh, look! It's little pretty and she's covered in garbage!" a high-pitched voice I recognized as Moaning Myrtle's said.

"Shut up!" I said, picking the garbage out of my hair and throwing it in the dustbin.

Myrtle looked only slightly offended at my snap.

"Well, then, aren't you supposed to be in class?" she smirked.

"I said, shut up!" I snapped again.

"You think you're so _smart_, don't you. Always the most _popular_ girl in class. Serves you right, now you know how other girls feel!" she huffed.

"Listen, Myrtle. People had a good reason to make fun of you. You're always crying over something someone's said and you never shut your mouth!" I fumed.

Here I was, desperately trying to make myself look normal, hoping I wouldn't be expelled for being late. (You never know what was going to happen to you if your teacher is a Death Eater.)

I seemed to have struck a nerve. Myrtle's pimply chin trembled and she started to wail loudly.

"You're so mean! _Nobody's _nice to me!" she sobbed.

And with that, she dived into her toilet with a great splash; therefore, I was now also covered in toilet water.

"No!" I shrieked.

I swore at the top of my lungs, wishing the ghosts would all _really_ die, where they couldn't annoy the living.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

After just a few minutes, I had managed to make myself look presentable.

I walked through the corridors with great caution, hoping not to bump into Peeves again.

When I had reached the Defense against the Dark Arts classroom, I saw that Amycus was giving some sort of lecture to the class.

I quietly shut the door behind me, hoping that I wouldn't be noticed.

Amycus looked towards the door and saw me entering the classroom.

"Weasley, tell me why you're ten minutes late." Amycus demanded, giving me a cold glare.

"I ran into Peeves." I said truthfully.

His eyes narrowed and they examined my face.

"All right, girl, sit down. I'll deal with you after class." he said.

I sat down on the farthest table at the back of the room. What did "deal with you later" mean?

I was forced to listen to Amycus' boring lecture, which was about how the ministry was changing its ways, how muggle-borns were evil scums, how You-Know-Who would "revolutionize" the Wizarding World for the best, blah, blah, blah.

All lies.

Before I knew it, everyone was getting up to leave the classroom. I tried to leave with the crowd to avoid having to talk with Amycus.

"No, Weasley, you stay here." he said, giving me a nasty look.

I gulped, and I stopped right where I was.

"Come here." Amycus said, pointing at the front of his desk.

"Why were you wandering the halls alone, Weasley?" he asked.

"I wasn't, it was Peeves, he—"

"Shut up, you lying scumbag!" he yelled. "You were trying to contact someone, weren't you! Or perhaps you were starting some sort of illegal organization!"

"No, I swear, I wasn't!" I yelled back.

"Liar! Let's try to make you speak the truth, shall we? _Imperio!_" he said.

My mouth was forcing me to say something. I tried to fight the urge, but I couldn't.

"I wasn't doing anything wrong and I wasn't breaking any rules!" I yelled.

Amycus looked at me suspicously, but he looked convinced at the same time. "Fine. But if I ever see you doing anything suspicous again, I swear I will Cruciate you until you go mad. Now get out of my classroom."

I left the classroom without hesiatation.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

That afternoon, the rest of my classes went on as usual. The only thing that bothered me was that the teachers were being extremely unenthusiastic about the lessons.

Hagrid had gone back to teaching us about flobberworms.

Professor McGonagall no longer transformed into strange animals for our amusement.

Professor Sprout did not let us take care of exciting, exotic plants anymore: Now, we would tend to boring, ordinary flowers.

Charms and Astronomy would be taught by making us read long, boring textbooks.

I was walking down the corridor towards the Muggle-Studies classroom. I felt extremely annoyed that I had to take this class, because I didn't particularly need it. If I ever needed information on muggles, I had Dad.

Thankfully, by the time I reached the classroom, I was on time.

I sat down next to Luna. I was glad that most of my classes were with Luna. The only classes I didn't have with the Ravenclaws were Transfiguration and Astronomy.

"Settle down already, you worthless lot!" Alecto yelled, spit flying from her mouth. She glared at us until we were all ready to listen.

"You're here to study about muggles and the danger they present to our society. I'm filling in for Professor Burbage who—ah—_resigned _this summer." she said with a sneer.

"Muggles interfere with our peaceful ways. They are too arrogant to understand magic, even if it's staring them in the face." she said, pausing.

"The Ministry intends to rule the muggle society soon; after all dangerous criminals who may interfere are eliminated."

I had a feeling I knew who the "dangerous criminal" was.

"Muggles think they're so _smart_, inventing worthless junk."

_Don't talk back, Ginny. Don't talk back._

__I kept forcing myself not to say something rude to Alecto when she kept rambling on with her anti-muggle speech because I did not want to suffer the Cruciatus curse again.

I managed to tune out Alecto's voice by staring out the window. I gazed longingly at the Quidditch field outside. What I wouldn't give to be training for an upcoming Quidditch match this very moment. Or even better, to be with Harry…

I thought back longingly to last year.

_1997_

_I was in the Gryffindor common room, celebrating Gryffindor's victory. We had won the Quidditch cup, and the entire house was rejoicing with a party. I was talking to Katie Bell.  
_

_"Hey, Ginny, do you think Harry is going to ask you out soon?" Katie asked me._

_I was taken aback. "What? I don't think so…he never notices me." I blushed._

_Katie laughed. "Yeah right. Haven't you noticed the way he's been staring at you recently?"_

_"I got over him a while ago…" I admitted._

_"So? Try again! You're not dating Dean anymore, are you? It's your big chance!" Katie said excitedly._

_"What do you mean, Katie?" I asked. This girl wasn't making any sense._

_"As soon as he walks into the common room, kiss him." Katie said._

_"What!" I exclaimed. Perhaps she had drunk too much butterbeer. _

_"Come on, Ginny! You've had a crush on him for ages; now's your chance!"_

_"What if it's all in your head, and he doesn't like me after all?" I asked her._

_"Ginny, I've been talking to Hermione recently. She says that whenever she brings you up, he gets all interested and makes up some lame excuse about Quidditch." _

_I thought for a moment. Katie was right. This was my big chance. But then again, there was the possibility that I would humiliate myself in front of the entire Gryffindor house. _

_All of a sudden, there was a hushed silence; someone had entered the common room. Cheers erupted from the entire Common room. _

_"We won! We won!" People yelled. _

_Without thinking I walked quickly towards Harry. _

_Oh, Merlin, kill me now. _

_And we kissed. The blissful moment I would cherish forever. The first time I had kissed Harry Potter. _

__"Ginny?" A distant voice said, snapping me back to reality.

It was Luna.

"What? Is class over?" I asked.

"Yes, it is. It wasn't a very interesting class, actually. I finished my Wrackspurt sketch while Alecto was talking. Do you want to see it?" she asked enthusiastically.

"What…yeah, sure…" I said, standing up, and following everyone out the classroom.

As I walked down the corridors, I couldn't help but feel pathetic. I seemed like one of those girls who couldn't stop thinking about their boyfriend, in my case, ex-boyfriend.

I had to keep reminding myself that Harry wasn't here. Of course, he was out there somewhere, busy saving the world.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
**  
Author's Note:** Okay, so about the chapter….  
It focuses on life at Hogwarts and how the Death Eaters are treating the students, and how Ginny is dealing with Harry not being with her. I'm worried that I did a sloppy job with this chapter… You know, I've got the entire story mapped out in a notebook. If you're really curious, I'll let you know that there will be a total of fourteen chapters. (But each of them will be really long so that makes up for the few amount of chapters) But hey, that means less waiting! The next chapter is quite exciting, but I won't tell you anymore...except for the fact that it takes place during Halloween.

I would really appreciate a review and a favorite. *Looks at you with puppy-dog eyes*

~Rosie


	3. Halloween and Hogsmeade

_What about the world today  
What about the place that we call home  
We've never been so many  
And we've never been so alone_

_-We Are by Ana_

September rolled by slowly, as did most of October. The days were becoming steadily chillier, and the autumn breezes kicked in.

It was now the week of Halloween, and everyone was looking forward to going to Hogsmeade this weekend. Hogsmeade visits were extremely limited: Now, there would be only three visits to the village per _year_. One on Halloween, one before Christmas, and another before Easter.

Meanwhile, classes were a nightmare. In Defense against the Dark Arts (now shortened to just "The Dark Arts") we were being taught all about illegal jinxes and spells, most of which caused permanent damage to the victim. (Thankfully, we practiced on animals.)

Muggle-Studies, on the other hand, was _mental_ torture. Alecto would talk about how muggles were just like animals and should therefore be treated like ones. A few students lashed out on her, and they were humiliated in front of the class with the Imperius curse.

I was so glad that there was the Hogsmeade weekend and the Halloween feast to look forward to.

I was in the far corner of the library, silently completing my homework. I had gone to the restricted section twice today for my "Ancient Dark Magic" essay.

The restricted section is a _horrible_ place. Many of the books are covered in blood, others attempt to bite your fingers off, and I ran across one that tries to strangle the holder.

The problem is that the restricted section is no longer restricted. The school has no problem letting students learn the Dark Arts anymore. In fact, they encouraged it.

Just as I had finished writing my essay, however, I was joined by Neville.

"Hello, Neville." I said to him. I hadn't talked to Neville all day since breakfast. As I looked up, I gasped. On Neville's cheek was a large, deep gash.

"Neville!" I said, alarmed. Perhaps I had said that too loud, because Madame Pince was now giving me a disapproving glare from behind her desk.

"What?" he asked.

"Your face! Look!" I whispered, pointing at the cut.

"Oh, this? It's nothing; Alecto gave it to me…" he said dismissively.

"Neville, what happened?" I demanded.

"Well… I was in Muggle-Studies class an hour ago. Alecto was rambling on, as usual, about how muggles are evil prats…and then I asked her how much magical blood she and her brother really had, and then she got mad at me and jinxed me, which gave me this." he finished, pointing at the, large, bloody gash.

I was watching him, my mouth gaping. I couldn't believe how much Neville had changed. Before, he was a clumsy, shy little boy that barely excelled in any subjects other than Herbology. Now, he was so…_brave_.

"Neville, what happened to you over the summer?" I asked him.

Neville laughed. "You should have seen everyone's reaction in the classroom when I talked back to Alecto. It's like nobody ever expected anything out of me." he said, frowning. "Anyway, there's something I wanted to talk to you about."

"What's that?" I asked.

"Well, the past two months here have been terrible, right? I mean, Death Eaters surrounding the castle, the Carrows…"

"Yeah," I said, curious as to what he was trying to say.

"Well, I think we should bring the D.A back." he declared.

"What! Neville, that's really dangerous! We could get expelled…or worse!" I said.

Neville sighed. "Ginny, d'you really think You-Know-Who will leave us alone even if we pass our N.E.W.T.S? We can't stay here like good little boys and girls; we have to fight back! You-Know-Who has taken over the Wizarding World, and we have to do something to stop him!" he said fiercely.

Neville had a good point.

"But we're just students! We're barely adults!" I said incredulously.

"So? Harry, Ron, and Hermione are just seventeen, and they've avoided capture for so long! Harry was only eleven when he saved the Sorcerer's stone, remember? He's done lots of mad things before, and he wasn't an adult!"

"Yeah, well Harry's…a special case." I said dismissively. "But really, what you're planning is extremely dangerous! What if someone gets hurt? What if we get caught? When Umbridge was around it was different! This is You-Know-Who we're talking about!" I said.

Neville thought for a moment. "You know, Ginny, if someone gets hurt…I feel terrible saying this…that's what war is about. You've got to take risks."

I contemplated Neville's words, deciding that what he said _did _have a good point...

"You're right, Neville." I said grudgingly. "But how are we going to contact everyone?" I asked him.

"That's easy. We re-create the D.A the same way we created it in the first place. At the Hog's Head Inn when we're at Hogsmeade. And I'll just tell everyone from the old D.A to meet us there." he said simply.

I gulped. "Neville, this better work." I said.

"It will." he said confidently.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The entire school was buzzing with excitement on Halloween morning. The Hogsmeade weekend and the Halloween feast were the only two things people were talking about.

I was just as excited as everyone else; however, I had a nervous feeling at the pit of my stomach. I kept worrying about the re-creation of the D.A. What if something went terribly wrong and Snape found out about what we were doing?

As I stood in line inside the Great Hall to exit the school grounds, I was not surprised that there were no decorations. Snape didn't celebrate Halloween, I suppose.

I exited the castle through the main doors. The long walk to Hogsmeade was quite enjoyable, especially in this favorable weather.

Leaves crunched under my feet and the wind rustled my hair as I walked downhill. There were a few, wispy clouds overhead, and a good amount of sunshine. And before I knew it, I had reached the village.

Much to my disappointment, many of the best shops and cafés had closed. Even the candy shop, Honeydukes, was boarded up.

I walked quickly towards the Hog's Head Inn, which unfortunately was one of the farthest shops in the village. I noticed that the village was slowly getting more crowded with students.

There were many Death Eaters along the way. They were prowling up and down the roads, or standing in front of the doors of open shops.

What if there were Death Eaters in front of the Hog's Head Inn? Surely, they would notice the vast amount of students entering a pub that was almost always empty?

As I reached the pub, I was relieved to find that the Hog's Head Inn had no Death Eaters near it. I supposed they didn't think any student would bother visiting that pub.

As I entered, the first thing I noticed about the pub was that it smelled strongly of goats. As I looked around, I saw that all of the wooden tables were dusty and chipped, and the wallpaper was peeling off. The only thing in the pub that seemed remotely well-taken care of was a large portrait of a little girl. Her face features seemed oddly familiar...

I noticed that there were only four D.A members already here; Ernie, Zacharias, Neville, and Luna.

I seated myself in a chair in front of Neville and Luna and whispered: _"Why'd you invite Smith?"_ to Neville.

_I didn't. Ernie told him."_ Neville whispered back with a frown.

Our whispered conversation ended as I heard the pub door open. In came the rest of the D.A, with everyone chatting away loudly with their friends.

The barman looked up in alarm to the noise. Clearly he had not had this many visitors in his pub since the last D.A meeting we had here two years ago. He grumbled something under his breath and retreated to the back room of the pub, carrying an oddly-shaped chipped mirror with him.

"Everyone, quiet!" Neville said loudly.

It took a few moments for everyone to settle down.

Neville then realized that the spotlight was on him, and started to talk a little more timidly.

"Okay…so, I was thinking we should—um—bring the D.A back…" he said, wringing his hands nervously, not looking directly at everyone.

"And…I think we should re-create the D.A because…because Hogwarts is being run by You-Know-Who, and I think we should fight back." he said simply.

He looked at me helplessly. Neville obviously wasn't good at talking to crowds.

"The D.A helped us when Umbridge was around… now we're facing an even bigger threat: You-Know-Who. He's in charge of Hogwarts, because Snape just does whatever You-Know-Who tells him to do. We need to defend Hogwarts." he said, talking more confidently after each word he spoke.

Everyone muttered in agreement.

"Who's going to lead us? Harry's not here." Padma Patil said.

"Neville will." I said simply.

Neville looked shocked. So did everyone else.

"Ginny! What—no! No way! I can't lead, I can't! I'll mess up!" he said frantically, shaking his head.

"Neville, _you_ fought at the Department of Mysteries. _You_ fought last year when the Death Eaters invaded the castle. And _you've_ stood up against the Carrows when nobody else would. And it was _your_ idea to re-start the D.A in the first place! Come on, Neville, you've got to start giving yourself a chance!" I said.

Neville looked at a loss for words.

"_I_ think you're really brave, Neville." Hannah said admiringly.

Neville was blushing so much he was as red as my hair.

"Any objections with Neville leading the D.A?" I said, looking intently at everyone, daring them to object.

Nobody said a word. Zacharias Smith looked like he had opened his mouth to say something twice, but probably decided that he did not want me to hex him again.

"Good!" I said. "Neville, when do you think the next meeting should be?"

"How about…tomorrow?" he suggested timidly.

Everyone started talking at once.

"Tomorrow?"

"No way!"

Everyone started complaining and objecting loudly.

"QUIET!" I shouted.

They stopped talking, and looked at me.

"The longer we hold it off, the stronger You-Know-Who and his Death Eaters get! We have to start learning advanced defenses, and we need to start planning,_ now!_ Don't any of you care about Hogwarts? What about the entire Wizarding world? Do you want You-Know-Who to rule us forever?" I said boldly.

"Ginny's right." Luna said mildly.

Everyone muttered agreement.

"That's settled then," I said approvingly. "How many of you still have your D.A coins?" I asked.

To my surprise, everyone started fumbling around in their pockets and they all lifted their shiny gold, fake galleons in the air.

"Wow, you've all still kept them?" I asked, surprised.

"I've been keeping it as a reminder of the D.A ever since our last meeting." Parvati said, admiring her coin.

"I'd never get ride of mine! I just brought it here because I thought I'd need it again since the D.A was re-forming…" Lavender said.

"Right, since you've all got your D.A coins, remember to carry them around at all times, and Neville will fix the date on his."

"But Ginny, Harry's got the special coin that sets the date of the meeting, not me."

Neville was right. Hermione had used some sort of spell to allow Harry's D.A coin to adjust the numbers on the side of his coin, which also affected everyone else's D.A coins. I was not as brilliant as Hermione, so I didn't know any such spells.

"I can fix that." Luna said, extending her arm.

Neville dropped his coin into Luna's hand. Luna took her wand out and muttered a few words under her breath, and aimed the spell at the coin. The coin glowed for a moment, and once again took the innocent appearance of a galleon.

"There," Luna said, giving Neville back his coin. "Now you can adjust the dates on everyone else's D.A coins." she said simply.

"Thanks, Luna!" Neville said. He turned to face the rest of the D.A again. "You know, as much as I feel honored to be the leader of the D.A…I'll never be able to take Harry's place permanently. He was the best Defense against the Dark Arts teacher I've ever had, better than all of our past Defense teachers put together…except maybe Lupin."

"You'll do great, Neville." Seamus said encouragingly.

"Thanks." Neville smiled. "So are we all in?" he asked.

"Dumbledore's Army!" Everyone said loudly, and most everyone burst into a fit of laughter.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The feast was quite a disappointment. The castle looked very un-festive, and the food was quite below standard for Hogwarts.

If all house-elves were like Dobby, I would have thought they expected a pay raise.

I had heard from many others that the visit to Hogsmeade was a let-down. That is to say, anyone who wasn't part of the D.A. Apparently, butterbeer prices had gone up to about triple the normal price, and the proportions had decreased.

Most shop owners that lived in Hogsmeade had fled the area, in fear that they would be murdered in their sleep by Death Eaters for whatever reason.

I took a large sip of slightly bitter pumpkin juice.

The nervous feeling had returned. I was thinking about the D.A meeting that was going to take place tomorrow.

If I got caught, my family would be in danger, and we would all be imprisoned for life…and I didn't even want to _think _about the third possibility…

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

**Author's Note:** Hello, all! How was the chapter? The next chapter is an important one, which is the first D.A meeting. Thank you so much to the people who have favorited and reviewed so far, I really appreciate it.

Please review. :)

~Rosie


	4. The DA Meeting

It was slightly chilly in my dormitory that night. The window next to my bed absolutely refused to close, so cold autumn breezes were sure to disturb me while I was sleeping. I was forced to do my homework with an irritating runny nose.

I scribbled some random words onto my charms essay with my now worn-down quill. The quill could not stand all the writing I was required to do with it—too bad it was my only quill. Sixth year, as expected, required lots of homework. It didn't help that I was extremely nervous about the upcoming D.A meeting as well. The nagging thought that we would be found out wouldn't go away.

I glanced at the clock perched on my bedside table—it was 8 o'clock, and the D.A meeting would take place at 10.

I sighed, closing my textbook and gathering up all of my books and parchment, and slipped them into my trunk. Apart from the fact I was exhausted, I was nervous. Getting to the Room of Requirement was a task itself, with Death Eaters guarding every corner of the castle.

_Tap tap._

I looked around curiously for the source of the sound, and saw that there was a silhouette of an owl at the window. I rushed to the window helped Errol through the gap, which wasn't too hard since the old owl was one of the skinniest I'd ever seen.

The ancient owl collapsed with exhaustion onto my bed, wings tiredly drooping. He had a letter attached to his leg, and I untied it quickly, smoothing it out onto my lap. It was from Mum:

_Dear Ginny,_

_I do hope you're alright. I hope you're not doing anything dangerous. I know perfectly well that you can be quite reckless at times. I advise you not to do so. Make sure you're not doing anything to get in trouble. I repeat- do nothing to get you into trouble. _

_Your father and I are currently in a state of worry-not like that's anything new, dear, we'll handle- his salary has reached a record low. I hope you're getting decent meals at Hogwarts, as we can't afford proper food here at home. Please don't worry, we'll manage. _

_Make sure you're keeping up some effort in school work; you'll need all those skills later on, especially in times like these. _

_Again, be very careful. I don't want anyone to harm you for being careless. _

_Lots of love,  
Mum_

I suddenly felt even guiltier than before. Here I was being extremely reckless, not just endangering myself, but my family as well. Then again, I had sworn my loyalty to Dumbledore's Army. _This was a risk worth taking, _I thought, trying to convince myself.

I quickly replied,

_Dear Mum,  
_  
_Everything's fine, you don't have to worry about me. The Hogwarts food is fine, and my grades are going well. I'm sorry to hear that you're so tight on money.  
_  
_Love,  
Ginny_

I knew it was a rushed response, but what else could I say? I obviously couldn't tell her about Dumbledore's Army, an illegal organization that would almost certainly get me expelled or killed.

I quickly pushed the thought out of my mind. I had to stop being so negative about the D.A. It was all for the best, no matter how risky it was.

I yawned, and collapsed onto my bed next to Errol, who was already sleeping. The meeting was two hours away; it wouldn't hurt to take a short nap, would it? I felt so comfortable under my warm blanket, I couldn't resist. Just a short nap…nothing would happen…

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

I yawned sleepily as my eyes opened, and I found it strange that there wasn't any sunlight poking at my eyes. Shouldn't it be morning already? There was also a strange, nagging feeling at the back of my head that I had forgotten something.

I pulled of my covers, grabbed my wand, and muttered _lumos_ under my breath so that I could see the clock. It was 11 o'clock in the night.

With a jolt, I realized what I was missing: The D.A meeting. I cursed myself for being so careless; the meeting was probably halfway through already.

I quietly rushed out of my dormitory, hoping not to wake Lauren and Tristan, who would surely raise questions as to why I was leaving after curfew.

I quickly exited through the portrait hole, waking the Fat Lady who started complaining about students constantly waking her up, and I ignored her.

The Room of Requirement was so frustratingly far away from the Gryffindor common room. I walked cautiously through the corridors, not believing my luck that I had not seen any Death Eaters yet. But when I turned a corner, I stopped at the sight of two Death Eaters who were standing guard at the seventh floor corridor—right where the Room of Requirement was.

Now I would never get to the meeting, I concluded. I had just started to make my way back to the common room, but I almost screamed at the sight of Peeves the Poltergeist zooming off into the corridor, hovering right over the Death Eaters.

"Get away, Peeves!" the first Death Eater said, and although he seemed to be attempting boldness, I could see his frightened expression. His wand was pointed shakily at Peeves, who merely cackled at the sight of him. Perhaps these two Death Eaters had an earlier experience with Peeves.

"Look at the naughty Death Eaters, walking 'round the school like they own the place! But Peevsie knows better, they're stupid little gits!" he cackled, pulling out a straw and loading it with gum. When he blew, the gum zoomed up the Death Eater's nose with great force.

The other Death Eater laughed at him, but he wasn't for long. Another wad of gum zoomed forcefully into his ear. He pulled out his own wand and pointed it threateningly at Peeves. "I'm warning you Peeves! No more funny business!"

"But the fun has just begun!" Peeves cackled gleefully blowing at his straw again, and more wads of gum started attacking the Death Eaters, most likely enchanted to cause pain.

The Death Eaters covered their heads, running away Peeves and out of sight. I never thought I'd see the day I'd thank Peeves. Then again, those two Death Eaters must have been the stupidest of the lot.

When I was sure that the Death Eaters and Peeves were well out of sight, I rushed to the spot where the Room of Requirement was supposed to be. I remembered the words that Neville had told me to recite in my head.

_I need a place for the D.A to practice that cannot be accessed by supporters of Death_ _Eaters_, I thought in my head. I looked up hopefully, and a large, elegant brass door appeared in front me.

I opened the door, revealing all the D.A members practicing defense and offense. Everyone looked startled at the sight of the door opening, but when they saw that it was only me, they continued with whatever they were doing.

"Ginny, you're here!" Nevile said happily.

"Sorry I'm late, I accidentally fell asleep," I said, hoping that Neville wouldn't mind.

"That's okay, I've done that before. I missed charms class." he laughed.

"So, what's everyone practicing?" I asked.

"Stunning. I'm surprised at how much everyone's improved since the last D.A meeting," he said. "Oh, and by the way, Hannah wants to be your practice partner."

Sure enough, Hannah looked ecstatic to see me. I liked to call her the ever-cheerful Hufflepuff. We had been friendly towards each other ever since the first D.A meeting two years ago.

"Hi Ginny!" she smiled, leading me towards a practice mat.

"Hello, Hannah. Do you want to go first?" I said politely.

"Okay," she said determinedly. _"Stupefy!"_

It had a pretty weak affect on me—I only froze for about two seconds.

"Oh, no, that wasn't very good…" she said.

"No, that was great Hannah! You just have to flick your wrist a little like this," I said, demonstrating.

"Oh, okay! I'll try again," she nodded, and once again pointed her wand at me with a very determined look on her face. Her wand was raised, but she didn't do anything. She looked mesmerized, and was staring a far distance from me.

I looked at where she was staring, and saw Neville helping a fifth year with his spell. I looked from Neville to Hannah, smiling with realization.

"Hannah!" I said loudly, and she appeared to be woken from her trance.

"Wha-what?" she blushed.

"What were you staring at?" I asked playfully.

"Nothing." she said firmly.

"You like Neville, don't you?" I said with a knowing smile. I've always suspected it; the way she looked at him, the way she talked to him—I even heard Lavender and Parvati giggling about it during breakfast once.

Hannah flushed. "Fine, I'll admit it. I do like him, but don't tell him!"

"I won't, I promise." I said truthfully.

"It's just…I've liked him even when he was a klutzy, accident-prone kid. You know, like an adorable teddy bear. I hated it when that Malfoy and his gang made fun of him, because Neville's always been such a good person. And now he's just so brave and handsome all of a sudden…" Hannah said dreamily.

"I'm sure he likes you back." I said.

"But…I thought he liked you." she blinked.

"What? No, Hannah, we're just friends! You know I like Harry." I said, even though, at the moment, I wasn't too happy with Harry for not telling me anything while he went off to save the world, like he usually does.

Hannah seemed very cheerful all of a sudden.

"Alright guys, stop whatever you're doing, it's time to go." Neville announced. "I've appointed each house a leader that will guide you to your common rooms without being caught by Death Eaters. Gryffindor will be led by me, Hufflepuff will be led by Ernie, and Ravenclaw will be led by Luna."

Luna looked quite proud about being leader of the Ravenclaws, but other Ravenclaws including Michael and Terry seemed to be quite uncomfortable with the arrangement.

The doors of the Room of Requirement opened, and as quiet as mice, we exited.

The Ravenclaws eventually turned right, and the Hufflepuffs had to go downstairs. Unfortunately, the Gryffindor common room was the farthest from the Room of Requirement. We had to make about three detours due to Death Eaters guarding a corridor. But we eventually made it to the portrait of the Fat Lady with everyone in one piece. The Fat Lady yawned and blinked a few times until she noticed about fifteen Gryffindors standing in front of her. "Oh my, what are you all doing here in the middle of the night?" she asked suspiciously.

"Never mind that, _crescent moon!_" Neville said impatiently.

She glared at us as we entered the portrait hole to the common room. The Fat Lady was known not to tell anyone about nighttime wanderings, and I highly doubted she would tell anyone with Snape as headmaster.

"That went well, didn't it? I told you everything would be fine, didn't I?" Neville said smugly.

"For now it did." I said.

"Stop being so negative." Neville frowned.

"I'm being realistic." I said firmly.

"Of course you are," Neville laughed, heading to the seventh year boys' dormitory.

Perhaps re-creating the D.A wasn't a bad idea after all. Maybe it was worth the risk.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

**Author's Note: **If you like this story, PLEASE check out the official version! The official version has more chapters and is always updated first! It has graphics too! To check out the official version, please click my profile and there will be a link. The link leads you to a different harry potter fanfiction site and it has Staying Strong on there. PLEASE check out the official version, it's better!


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